israel and its supporters here in the united states, a statement in 2008, that our policy of nonengagement with the syrians, quote, has isolated us more than the syrians, and a 2009 statement that we should not isolate hamas, a terrorist organization. so there's much to be explored at this hearing, but as we struggle with the difficult security challenges facing our nation, the president needs to have a secretary of defense, in who he has trust, who will give him unvarnished advice, a person of integrity, and one who has a personal understanding of the consequences of decisions relative to the use of military force. senator hagel certainly has those critically important qualifications to lead the department of defense. senator inhofe? >> thank you, mr. chairman. first of all, i would like to echo your remarks about secretary panetta and the work that he's done. i don't see him here today, but i do recall when he was first nominated, i was probably one of the first phone calls to him and i've enjoyed working with him. with senator mccain, the same way, i've certainly continued to depend on